Kate Alexandra Heffernan (born 7 October 1999) is a New Zealand netball international and former cricketer. She represented the New Zealand national netball team at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the 2023 Netball World Cup. She captained New Zealand at the 2024 Netball Nations Cup. In 2018, she also made two appearances for the New Zealand women's national cricket team.

Kate Heffernan
Personal information
Full name Kate Alexandra Heffernan[1]
Born (1999-10-07) 7 October 1999 (age 25)[2]
Invercargill, New Zealand[3]
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
School St Hilda's Collegiate School
University University of Otago
Relatives Annette Heffernan (mother)
Georgia Heffernan (sister)
Maxine Blomquist (aunt)
Shirley Langrope (cousin)
Netball career
Playing position(s): WD, C, WA
Years Club team(s) Apps
2017–2019 Netball South
2018– Southern Steel
Years National team(s) Caps
2022– New Zealand 34
Medal record
Representing  New Zealand
Commonwealth Games
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Birmingham Team

Heffernan comes from a family of netball internationals: at the 2024 Netball Nations Cup, herself and her sister, Georgia Heffernan, became the third set of sisters to play international netball for New Zealand. Her mother, Annette Heffernan and her aunt, Maxine Blomquist, were the first set. However, the Heffernan sisters are the first sisters to actually play in the same team at the same time. A cousin, Shirley Langrope, was also a New Zealand netball international. As well as playing netball together for New Zealand, the Heffernan sisters have played together in several teams, including the Southern Steel netball team and the Otago Sparks women's cricket team.

Early life, family and education

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Heffernan is the daughter of Noel and Annette Heffernan. Her mother, her aunt, Maxine Blomquist, her sister, Georgia Heffernan and a cousin, Shirley Langrope, are all New Zealand netball internationals. Her father played rugby union for Canterbury Country.[4][5][6][7] The Heffernan family live on their sheep and beef farm, near Tapanui, West Otago.[8] The Heffernan sisters attended Tapanui's Blue Mountain College[9] and St Hilda's Collegiate School.[10][11] Kate attended the University of Otago, where she studied psychology.[6][12]

Cricket

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Cricket information
BattingRight-handed
BowlingLeft-arm medium-fast
RoleBowler
International information
National side
T20I debut (cap 50)16 March 2018 v West Indies
Last T20I20 March 2018 v West Indies
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2016/17–2018/19Otago Sparks
Career statistics
Competition WT20I WLA WT20
Matches 2 11 19
Runs scored 61 8
Batting average 12.20 4.00
100s/50s 0/0 0/0
Top score 20* 4
Balls bowled 36 510 408
Wickets 1 6 13
Bowling average 29.00 60.00 27.84
5 wickets in innings 0 0 0
10 wickets in match 0 0 0
Best bowling 1/14 2/35 4/21
Catches/stumpings 0/– 1/– 5/–
Source: CricketArchive, 17 August 2021

Early years

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Heffernan represented Otago at under-15 and under-16 levels.[9] She and Georgia Heffernan also won national titles representing St Hilda's Collegiate School.[11][13][14]

Otago Sparks

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Between 2016 and 2019, Heffernan played as a left-arm medium bowler for Otago Sparks. She played 28 matches for Sparks.[1][15][16][17][18][19] She was a member of the Sparks team that won the 2016–17 New Zealand Women's Twenty20 Competition. In the final against Canterbury Magicians, Heffernan took 4–21 off her four overs.[20] Her 2018 Sparks team mates included her sister, Georgia Heffernan.[14][17][21]

New Zealand

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In February 2018, Heffernan was called up to play for New Zealand.[22][23][24] She subsequently made two women's Twenty20 international appearances.[1][8][25][26] On 16 March 2018 she made her WT20I debut against the West Indies during their tour of New Zealand.[27][28][29] On 20 March 2018 she made a second appearance against the same opponents.[1][25]

Netball

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St Hilda's

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In 2016 and 2017, the Heffernan sisters were members of the St Hilda's Collegiate School team that won back-to-back South Island secondary school netball titles. 2016 was the first time St Hilda's had reached the final five stage and final of the tournament.[10][30][31][32][33] In 2016 the St Hilda's team assistant coach was their mother, Annette Heffernan.[10]

Netball South

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Between 2017 and 2019, the Heffernan sisters played for Netball South in the National Netball League.[34][35][36][37][38][39] Ahead of the 2018 season, while playing for Netball South, they were also named as training partners for Southern Steel.[33][40]

Southern Steel

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Since 2018, Heffernan has played for Southern Steel.[41] On 11 June 2018, she made her senior debut for Steel in a Round 6 match against Mainland Tactix. She joined Steel as a replacement for an injured Dani Gray and received a contract for the remainder of the season.[42][43][44] She was a fringe member of the Steel team that won the 2018 ANZ Premiership.[45][46] However, she subsequently established herself as senior member of the Steel team. She initially played for Steel at wing defence before switching to centre for the 2021 season.[12][19][46][47][48] Her sister, Georgia Heffernan, also plays for Steel.[49][50][51]

ANZ Premiership statistics
Season Team G/A GA RB CPR FD IC DF PN TO MP
2018 Steel 0/0 ? 0 6 ? 0 8 10 1 4
2019 Steel 0/0 16 0 51 38 22 20 118 8 16
2020 Steel 0/0 14 0 69 21 18 36 101 12 14
2021 Steel 0/0 133 0 11 298 25 39 134 54 16
2022 Steel 0/0 172 0 41 333 24 41 103 47 15
2023 Steel 0/0 ? 0 23 366 26 37 97 46 15
Career

Sources:[41][52]

New Zealand

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In August 2021, Heffernan was included in the 2021–22 New Zealand squad.[53][54][55] She was subsequently included in the squad for the 2021 Taini Jamison Trophy Series, but didn't get on court.[19][56][57] On 12 October 2021, she made her unofficial debut for New Zealand against Aotearoa Men.[19][58] She was included in the 2022 Commonwealth Games squad[59] and, on 30 July 2022, she eventually made her senior debut in New Zealand's opening match against Northern Ireland.[2][60] In just her sixth test, she helped New Zealand win the bronze medal.[61] She went on to represent New Zealand at the 2023 Netball World Cup and was named Midcourter of the Tournament.[26][62][63][64]

Ahead of the 2024 Netball Nations Cup, Heffernan was named vice-captain to Phoenix Karaka.[65][66] During the tournament Georgia Heffernan made her senior debut for New Zealand against Australia. The Heffernan sisters now became the third set of sisters to play international netball for New Zealand. The first set were their mother and aunt, Annette Heffernan and Maxine Blomquist. However, the Heffernan sisters are the first sisters to actually play in the same team at the same time.[7][67][68] On 22 January 2024, Heffernan captained New Zealand in the match against Uganda.[69][70]

Tournaments Place
2021 Taini Jamison Trophy Series[19][56][57] 2nd
2022 Commonwealth Games[59][60][61]  
2022 Taini Jamison Trophy Series[71] 1st
2022 Constellation Cup[72] 2nd
2023 Netball Quad Series[73][74] 2nd
2023 Netball World Cup[26][62][63][64] 4th
2023 Taini Jamison Trophy Series[75][76][77] 1st
2023 Constellation Cup[26][78] 2nd
2024 Netball Nations Cup[7][65][66][67][69][70] 3rd
2024 Taini Jamison Trophy Series[79] 2nd
2024 Constellation Cup[80][81] 1st

Honours

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Netball

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New Zealand
Southern Steel

Cricket

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Otago Sparks

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Kate Heffernan". cricketarchive.com. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Kate Heffernan". www.silverferns.co.nz. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  3. ^ "ANZ Premiership 2021 Media Guide" (PDF). anzpremiership.co.nz. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  4. ^ "Annette Heffernan". www.silverferns.co.nz. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  5. ^ "History set to repeat for netball's Heffernan clan". newsroom.co.nz. 26 July 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Heffernan twins join forces on court". www.southlandsport.com. 24 June 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
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  9. ^ a b "Talented twins juggling sports and loving it". www.odt.co.nz. 9 July 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  10. ^ a b c "NZSS Secondary Schools Netball Championships profile: Kate Heffernan/St Hilda's Collegiate". www.collegesportmedia.co.nz. 27 September 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  11. ^ a b "St Hilda's Collegiate claim maiden title". www.collegesportmedia.co.nz. 5 December 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
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